Process of and apparatus for concentrating sulfuric acid.



H. G. KLINK. l PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING SULFURIC CD1 APPLICATLON FILED MARA 23. 1917.

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. @Heulen H. G. KLlNK.

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOB CONCENT-RATING SULFURIC ACID.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAn.23.1911.

1,276,877. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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PROCESS F .AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATNG' SULFURIC AC-ID.

Specification of Letters Patent.- Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Application filed March 23, 1917. Serial N o. 156,912.

tainvnew and useful Improvements in Proc-A esses of and Apparatus for Concentrating Sulfuric Acid, of which the following is a.

i specification. A

This invention relates to a methodf'of and apparatus forv concentrating sulfuric acid,

and it embodies the idea of forcing heated air through the weak acid as the latter drips or iiows through checker brick work or other'l acid-proof materialconined in a tower, the weak acid being fed into the top of the y tower and the heated air being forced up from' the bottom, the concentrated acid being drawn ofi' from the bottom of the tower, and the vapor passing 'out of the top ofthe tower to a condenser which recovers thev weak acid which may then be passed through evaporating pans and returned to cup 30,' and a pipe 3 1, so that the lowffrom the tower again.

The benefit of the .process is thatthevacid is concentrated by hot clean air, and is not subjected to products of combustion or the like, which discolor the acid and deposit iinll.. Fig. 4 is a plan looking down on the line.

purities therein.

The apparatus contains improvements in its details with respect to structure, and the use of the waste heat of the air heating furnace for cvaporating the weak acid before it is delivered to the tower.

The invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a side elevation, somewhat in diagram, of theappaatus. Fig.2 is a plan of the air heating furnace with its cover removedf Figq is a section of the tower on the line 3'-3 of Fig.

4 4 ot' Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a vdetail of one of the sealed feeding cups atthe top of the ltower.

lcl'crrmg speciically tothe drawings, 6 indicates a furnace in which theproducts of combustion flow 'trom a grate 7' forth and lback through chamuws 8 and 9 to a stack 10. Within the chambers `of the furnaceiare 4a plurality of inverted UQbends or pipes 11, connected in series by boxes 12, forming continuous air condo.:l from a blower 13 to an outlet pipe i4 which cinn'municates with the hase ol the concel'iiratipgtower 15; For most oi' its length this 'tu'i'cr is filled with checker brick work indicate" at 16, and with a brick lining 17. lThis checker work may be brick, tile, stone or other acid-proof material, w1thspaces by which the weak acid can flow down through the tower and the air blast up through 4the same.

The weak acid is fed to the top of the tower by a pump 18 through a pipe 19 which delivers vinto a tank -20 mounted on supports 2l at the top of the tower. From this tank a feed pipe 22 leads to a distributing box 23,

the feed being regulated by a valve which by the lever 25 and chain 26 can be opened to the desired extent. 27 is 'an overflow pipe from the tank to the distributing box.

. A From this box a plurality of spouts or pipes 28 lead lto feed cups setV in the closed 4'top of the tower, the .cups being scattered tondeliver the acid at Various places in the tower.

' The cups are sealing cups, to prevent escapeof fumes at thetop of the tower, and one ofthem is shown in section in Fig. 5. It comprises an outer cupr29,l an inner inverted the spouts 28 is into the cup 29, vforminga liquid seal, the liquid overflowing through vthe cup 30 intothepipe 31 from which it falls on to the checker work below.

'At the base of the tower is'an 'outlet 32 to a cooling box 33 'containing a coil `34 through which Water maybe flowed, the

concentrated and cooled acid overflowing through. a pipe 35 into a receiving tank 36. 37 is a -Hush ipe from the bottom of the box controlledJ end of a rod 39.

sof y by a valve 38 at vthe lower From tho uppcrend of the tower. a i

40 lcadsof, and by a bend L1 ;1 communicates with a condenser 42 through which Water is lflowed by a pipe 43. 44 is a vent pipe, 'at the 'top of the condenser.

From the low point of the bend 4:1 a pipe 45 leads to the first of a series of evaporating pans 46 which arc connected finally by. apipe 47 to' the acid pump 18.

inthe performance of the process and the use of the ai'mratus wcak'acid is pumped through the pipe 19 to thc tank at the top of the tower, from which it is fed through the distributing box andthe fwd cups into the tower l5, and it drips over or through the checker work therein.

the airronduiis ll and is forced into thc lL u bottom o! the tower and up Vthrough tho A means ofthe furnace the air is heated in checker vork. in its passage it cvaporatcs the water of the weak acid,` and the concentrated acid is delivered at the bottom through the cooler to the receiving, tank. The and fumes pass out the top of the tower through the pipe 40, and the Weak aeid condensed therein, and in the con denser 42 collects in the bend il and I'lows into the series of evaporating,` pans which are placed on top of the furnace and so utilize the heat thereof. This weak acid is returned to the pump and passed again througl'i thel tower. Additional weak acid may from time to time he supplied to the eraporating pans. The drawing shows a single system, but the. apparatus may be dul'ilicated or the towers arranged in series for the repeated treatments to effect'. the dcsired degree of concentration. The parts which are subjected to the action ot' the acid will ot course he mad(` oi lead or other Inaterial 'which will resistI the action ot` the acid, or lined with brick or other acid resisting' material` and various changes ma)r be. made in the l'orm or arrangements of the parts within the scope ot' the invention.

I claim: Y

1. The method ot' concentrating acid coinprising" llowing weak acid in one direction throng-li an interstieed massl and forcing a blast olI heated air through said mass in the opposite direction, and cooling the gas Levee?? after its passage through said mass and re turning the condensate through said mass.

In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of an. evaporatingitower having` an inlet for liquid at the Copland an outlet for liquid at the bottom, a furnace, an air blast conduit heated by said furnace and (,lischarging` into the base of the tower, a condenser communicating With the upper end of the tower, to receive gas therefrom, and means to return the condenate to the `liquid inlet at. the top of the tower.

il. Ina concentrating apparatus, the conrbination of an evaporating tower having an inlet t'or liquid at the top and an outlet for liquid aty the bottoni, a furnace, an air blast conduit heated by said furnace, and discharging into the base of the tower, a condenser communicating` with the upper end of the tower, to receive gas therefrom, and means to return the condensate to the liquid inlet at the top of the tower, "aid means inclndingv eva porating1 pans through which said condensate flows, said pans being eX- posed to the heat of the furnace.

In testimony whereof I atiix niv signature in presence. ot two witnesses.

HENRY G. KLINK. lVit nesses FRANK J. thinnivrliLs, HUGH 'W. THOMPSON. 

